


Greener Pastures

by ReesieReads



Series: Ducktales - Separated AU [1]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Autistic Fethry Duck, Autistic Huey Duck, Babies, Brief Bentina Beakley, Brief Dewey Duck, Brief Donald Duck, Brief Webby Vanderquack, Broken Families, Childhood, Everyone Needs A Hug, Mentions of Scrooge McDuck - Freeform, Parenthood, Trans Female Character, Trans Female Huey Duck, Trans Louie Duck, Trans Male Character, mentions of della duck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27679286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReesieReads/pseuds/ReesieReads
Summary: Della disappears with the Spear of Selene, and in her wake leaves a request for each of her children to be left to her cousins and brother.This is the story of Gladstone raising Louie and all the challenges that came with it.(Tags will likely change over time)
Relationships: Fethry Duck & Huey Duck, Gladstone Gander & Fethry Duck, Louie Duck & Gladstone Gander, Louie Duck & Huey Duck
Series: Ducktales - Separated AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024051
Comments: 11
Kudos: 67





	1. A ‘Lucky’ Gander!

The call came around three in the morning.

Gladstone had been awake, just walking around Duckburg at the time. He hadn’t even known why, just that his feet were taking him somewhere. The feeling was familiar though, as Gladstone had always felt fine just letting his luck take him where he needed to go.

Luck had always been associated with the name Gladstone Gander, since he could walk really. Life just seemed to work out for him, helping him win everything he could ever hope to win. Gladstone had never had to try, never had to lift a single finger. Most thought he was lucky because of it.

In fact most people thought his life was perfect, that nothing ever went wrong for him. Gladstone never mentioned his parents, or Grandma Duck, or his cousin’s parents, or all of the other family members resting six feet under. He didn’t think it would change their minds. Everyone thought Gladstone Gander was lucky, was perfect, and nothing would ever change that.

They would even say he was lucky to be standing outside McDuck manor when he got a call from his cousin Donald. A call that was about to lead to the biggest change in Gladstone’s life.

“Hey Donnie!” 

“Gladstone…”

The lucky man paused, stopping in front of the cold iron gates that lead into McDuck manor. It was dark out, and a cold breeze ran though the fall air, but Gladstone knew the chill running down his spine had nothing to do with the weather.

Growing up on the farm, Gladstone had practically grown up with his cousins, but he had never heard Donald sound as broken as he did now. It had always been hard to understand the man, with his vocal cords frayed and burned, but Gladstone felt like he had never understood him better then in that moment.

“Don? What’s going on?”

“Where are you right now Gladstone?”

He paused, looking around his surroundings for the first time. A pit grew in his stomach as he looked up the hill that led to McDuck manor, a place that had only held pain and judgement towards him. “McDuck manor.”

“Figures,” Donald grumbled, but it didn’t have the same edge it usually did, “can you come to me and-  _ my  _ bedroom? We… have some things to talk about. Beakley will let you in.”

As he said that the gates began to open, the sound of metal screeching cutting through the otherwise silent night. Gladstone could hear Donald hang up, but he didn’t move the phone away from his ear. When he had gone out on his walk, letting his feet carry him wherever his luck demanded, he never imagined coming back to this place.

Lucky indeed.

-

When Gladstone arrived at the front door, carried by a stray gust of wind (because of  _ course)  _ the housemaid was the one to answer the door. He had never met the woman formally, but Fethry had mentioned her once or twice during their brief conversations over tin can.

Beakley (that’s what Donald had called her right?), loomed over him, blue eyes glaring into his soul. The scar running across her face only proved to make her more menacing, and he forced himself to not take a step backwards.

In her arms, Gladstone noticed, was a small child. The kid couldn’t have been more than one, dressed in a frilly purple dress with her brown hair pulled back with a pink bow clip. She was cute, clinging to Beakley and letting out a small yawn every few minutes.

Gladstone didn’t think she was Della’s kid though, Fethry had said the triplets were all red-heads, all looking just like Della. He didn’t know how that was possible, but he supposed it didn’t matter, McDuck genes must have just been strong.

The woman led him through the mansion without saying anything, and Gladstone couldn’t help but notice how  _ tense  _ she looked. The darkness of the manor drowned them in shadows, but he could see the way her shoulders were drawn together, like she was expecting someone to attack them.

By the time they arrived on the second floor of the mansion, the hall with all the bedrooms, the little girl was asleep. She laid across Beakley’s shoulder, hand falling from her mouth slowly. Gladstone had never been one for children, but even he could admit the kid was cute.

When they came to Donald and Della’s room, Gladstone felt his heart speed up. He wasn’t sure what he was going to find behind this door, but whatever it was had to be bad, Donald  _ never  _ would have called him otherwise.

Studying the blue anchor and white plane placed on the door, he found himself stalling. Gladstone had a door just like this somewhere in this hallway, with his own plaque (a four leaf clover) hanging on the front. Fethry had shown it to him the one time he visited the manor, telling him all about how Scrooge had a room for every Duck/McDuck/Coot/Gander or any other person related to him.

Gladstone had never seen inside it.

He had only been to the mansion once, coming with his cousin Gus to come pick up Donald and Della. Fethry had already been there, apparently staying over for the time being. Gladstone hadn’t questioned it then, too busy trying to gain his Uncle Scrooge’s attention.

The older man had never liked Gladstone though, claiming that he was ‘lazy’ and that his luck was an excuse. He had never found a way to explain that his luck didn’t  _ let  _ him work, that trying only led to failure because if it was meant to happen his luck would take care of it.

Realizing he had been standing there for far to long, Gladstone quickly knocked on the door. Beakley and the little girl had already disappeared, probably somewhere else in the shadowy manor.

When the door opened, it revealed an exhausted Donald Duck with red-rimmed eyes.

“Let’s talk.”

-

Once Gladstone found himself situated on the blue seat under the window (“not her bed,” Donald had insisted, “don’t touch  _ her  _ bed”), his older cousin immediately went back to packing a large black suitcase. It was dark in the room, almost black, but Gladstone could still see three shapes on the otherwise empty bed across the room from Donald.

Della’s kids, Gladstone immediately guessed. Since none of them were moving, he assumed they were asleep, but that led him to wonder where the other Duck twin had gone. “Where’s Della?”

Donald paused, the black shirt in his hands suspended in the air momentarily before he resumed folding, “gone.”

Gladstone jolted, looking at his cousin through the gloom because  _ surely  _ he misheard. There was no way Della Duck was just  _ gone,  _ especially not with three babies that Fethry had insisted she was  _ extremely  _ excited for. “W-what? What do you mean  _ gone?” _

“She left,” Donald said, his voice monotone, “climbed onto a spaceship that wasn’t finished, took off, and crashed in a meteor shower.”

With that information, the room fell silent. In any other family Donald’s story would have sounded insane, like a nightmare rather than reality. But this was the  _ McDuck  _ family, and anything was possible. Even a new mother crashing in outer space. “Why?”

“Who knows?” Donald spat, fists clenching momentarily before he went back to folding clothes, “it’s  _ Della.” _

Usually, that wasn’t an adequate response, but Della Duck really did have a reputation for being odd. She was known for being impulsive and rash, never really thinking things through before she did them. Gladstone couldn’t even say he was surprised she went to space, but leaving behind three  _ babies  _ didn’t sound like her. “Why did you want me here Donald?”

The red-head didn’t answer for a long time, sitting down on the edge of his bed and glaring at the floor. It was too dark to see properly, but Gladstone didn’t miss the way Donald’s hands shook or the way he teared up, green eyes glassy.

Gladstone had never seen Donald cry.

It was weird when he thought about it, the fact that he had known his cousin for almost two whole decades, and yet had never seen Donald cry  _ once.  _ He had seen Fethry cry dozens of times when he was overstimulated or an animal was in trouble, and Della cried sometimes when she got really hurt, but never Donald.

It sounded kinda ridiculous, considering Donald had more of a reason to cry then literally anyone Gladstone knew. His luck was awful, and unlike Gladstone’s good luck it could affect the people around him. Donald was also teased ruthlessly as a kid for being goth and having a ‘weird’ voice. Not to mention all of the death and horrors he had been put through as a kid. Hell, the man had just lost his twin sister for crying out loud!

But no, this was the first time.

“D-Della said she wanted the kids to uh-“ the sailor rubbed his face, taking a deep breath, “she said she wanted each of the kids to go to Fethry, you, and me, if something were to happen to her.”

Gladstone froze, momentarily overtaken by shock, because  _ him  _ with a  _ baby?  _ It was  _ insane!  _ He was one of the least responsible people in the world, not to mention the fact that he really didn’t have a stable way of living (no his luck didn’t count since it only helped him). By all means, it was the most  _ outrageous  _ thing he had ever heard.

“What?” He asked, letting out a nervous laugh, “me? With a  _ baby?  _ Donald that’s  _ insane!” _

“I  _ know!”  _ Donald hissed, glaring up at the ceiling now with all the rage of a thousand suns, “I don’t know what she was thinking!”

“Donald,” he muttered, fiddling his thumbs, “you don’t  _ have  _ to listen to Della, I mean you-“

Gladstone cut himself off though, mouth snapping shut as his cousin pointed his death-glare at him. He had dealt with Donald’s anger before, countless times really, but he had  _ never  _ seen him like this. Maybe it was the grief, maybe the frustration with not understanding Della, maybe the panic over what to do with the triplets, but Donald’s eyes were full of white hot  _ rage. _

_ “Gladstone,”  _ Donald seethed, “my sister’s  _ last  _ request was for you to take one of her children. Are you  _ seriously  _ going to sit here and deny her request?”

_ ‘If it means this kid doesn’t get stuck with a dead beat like me,’  _ Gladstone thought,  _ ‘then maybe.’ _

But no, he wouldn’t, because it was  _ Della.  _ If the girl who grew up with him, who played with him and never judged him for his luck, who talked about all her adventures while he fixed Grandma Duck’s garden, wanted him to raise one of her children?  _ He would. _

Sighing, Gladstone shook his head, “no, of course not.”

Donald’s shoulders slumped, like he couldn’t be bothered to hold them up anymore. Maybe he had been hoping Gladstone would pull a…  _ Gladstone.  _ That he would say no to Della’s request, and walk out without a care, because since when had Gladstone cared about his family?

But he hadn’t, so now they would both have to live with what that meant.

Donald pointed at Della’s bed, where the kid’s were peacefully sleeping, unaware of the tragedy that was happening around them. “The one in green is… yours. Della said she was the most like you.”

Gladstone pushed himself to his feet, and despite the fact that his knees were shaking, he walked over to look at the sleeping babies. They lay right next to each other on the white comforter, each swaddled in their own significant color.

_ ‘Fethry really hadn’t been kidding,’  _ Gladstone thought,  _ ‘they look just like her.’ _

All three kids had wispy red hair and pale faces full of freckles. He could see little smiles on their faces, with dimples just like their mom’s. The one swaddled in red (with curly hair?) had his arm laying over the one in green (the only girl), while the one in blue (god he looked  _ just  _ like Della) was spread out like a starfish, his swaddle falling apart at the top.

Taking one of them away from the others was going to  _ kill  _ him.

“The green one huh?” Gladstone muttered, gaze looking over to the smallest of the three. She was cute no doubt, with chubby cheeks and hair that swooped in front of her face. He briefly wondered why Della thought the girl would be the best fit for him, but decided to not question it as he turned back to Donald.

“What are their names?” He asked, trying to stall.

“The one in red, Huebert, is oldest,” Donald said with no emotion, now staring out the window, “he’s Fethry’s.”

Gladstone looked over the boy, taking in the curly hair and broad shoulders. If he was honest, Gladstone was almost more worried about  _ Fethry  _ taking a kid then taking one himself. After all, the youngest cousin had only  _ just  _ turned twenty, and he was still going to college for marine biology, living with his parents until he graduated. A baby was really… a lot to ask of someone as soon as they turned into an adult, especially someone as flighty as  _ Fethry. _

“The blue one,” Donald continued, “is Dewford. I’ll be taking him.”

He wondered if it was a good idea for Donald to be taking in a kid at the moment. He had only gotten out of the Navy a year ago (according to Fethry) and he  _ had  _ just lost his sister, and technically two of his sister’s children. Gladstone didn’t know if Donald was really ready to take care of someone  _ and  _ cope with so much loss.

Were any of them ready to take care of a baby though?

“The green one,” Donald said, “is Llewelyn. She’s yours.”

_ ‘What kind of name is Llewelyn?’  _ Was his first thought, his second being,  _ ‘oh my god I’m getting a kid what the hell-‘ _

Biting his lip, Gladstone carefully extracted the girl baby, cradling her in his arms. The boy in red let out a small whine, before turning and going back to sleep. The girl didn’t move a muscle, completely relaxed in his arms as she slumbered.

“Della gave them nicknames,” Donald muttered, still not moving his gaze from the window, “Huey, Dewey, and Ellie.”

_ ‘Ellie,’  _ Gladstone thought to himself,  _ ‘I have a kid named Ellie.’ _

It didn’t feel real.

-

After declining an offer of baby stuff from Donald (he was sure his luck would take care of it all, and if not he had more than enough money), Beakley led him back out to the gates of McDuck Manor. There was no sign of the brunet baby this time though, and Gladstone figured she was probably sleeping somewhere inside the manor.

Before he left, a thought crossed his mind, and Gladstone turned to the housekeeper, “what about Scrooge? Couldn’t he help take care of the kids?”

Beakley frowned, blue eyes glancing back at the Manor before turning back to him, “Mr. McDuck is to have no connection to the triplets I am afraid. Mr. Duck has made it clear he does not want the kids to be around him or McDuck Manor after tonight.”

_ ‘That doesn’t sound like Donald,’  _ Gladstone thought to himself as Beakley began to make her way back to the manor, and the iron gates began to close,  _ ‘what else happened tonight?’ _

Feeling movement against his arm, Gladstone looked down to see a very small set of green eyes looking up at him.

“Just you and me Green Bean,” Gladstone muttered gravely.

“Just you and me.”


	2. A Walk For Your Thoughts!

Gladstone was  _ walking. _

Not that it was necessary, more than a few taxis had stopped next to him and asked if he wanted a ride, but he found himself declining each one. He needed some time to just  _ think,  _ and it was hard to do that if a cab driver was badgering him.

He wasn’t really paying attention to where he was walking either, just letting his luck lead him as usual. Something in the back of his mind told him it was a bad idea, that it would lead him to yet  _ another  _ tragedy, but he didn’t know how to get home otherwise. 

Ellie at least wasn’t much of a distraction. The baby had stayed completely silent even after she woke up, green eyes studying him with a bored expression on her face. Gladstone was starting to see why Della thought they were alike.

He found himself grateful that the Green Bean had been swaddled in a blanket already, the air only growing colder as the sky brightened. It would probably be warm in a few hours, but for now Gladstone shivered against the fall breeze.

_ ‘I wonder if Fethry has the red one yet,’  _ Gladstone thought to himself,  _ ‘what will his parents think?’ _

Fethry had really been the only person Gladstone stayed in touch with after Grandma Duck died. Everyone else in the family was either occupied or held a grudge against him the size of Niagara Falls. He had always figured it was better off with him staying out of the way.

Now he regrets it.

_ ‘I should call Fethry when I get home,’  _ Gladstone decides, walking past the pier and ignoring the odd looks pointed his way,  _ ‘I’m sure he’s stressed out from all of this.’ _

Elder Duck was known for having a temper nearly as bad as Donald’s, and Fethry had mentioned in passing the older man’s disdain for him. Gladstone couldn’t see why (Fethry was one of the nicest people he had ever met), but it did leave him concerned for his cousin. He couldn’t imagine Elder would be appreciative of a new family member.

Cutting through his thoughts is a small whine, and Gladstone looks down to see Ellie wincing as the breeze hits her across the face. She protested loudly, looking at him with a face that screamed  _ ‘do something!’  _ Rolling his eyes, he tucked the baby softly against his chest, placing his suit jacket over her. It was a frighteningly paternal action, and Gladstone found himself standing on the sidewalk for a moment, feeling the baby’s soft breathing against him.

Gladstone had never wanted children, in fact he usually detested them. Responsibility had always been his worst nightmare, and kids pretty much had the word ‘responsibilities’ printed out on their foreheads.

Standing there though, in the early morning light, with the Green Bean breathing gently against his chest, Gladstone felt something fiercely paternal bloom in his stomach. Ellie was  _ his  _ now, he was basically a  _ father,  _ and he was determined not to fail her.

Ellie Duck would  _ never _ be unhappy if Gladstone had anything to do with it.

-

Before Gladstone got home, he was stopped in his tracks by an older woman. She had graying purple hair, and wrinkles adorning her tanned face, but her eyes were a vibrant blue that held heaps of youth. 

The woman had rushed up to him with a handful of fliers in her arms, eyes trained on Ellie (who had fallen back to sleep an hour ago). “Oh this is just  _ perfect!  _ We have all kinds of baby things we need to sell, would you happen to need anything sir?”

Forcing back the urge to roll his eyes (because this is  _ exactly  _ what he’d been expecting), Gladstone nodded, “I’ll take anything you got. Any chance I could pay you to drive it out to my house too?”

She nodded eagerly, “my boy back home can do it for twenty dollars! I’ll tell him to pack everything all up now. Do you mind giving me your address?”

After writing his number on a post-it note that just happened to drift by, Gladstone began to make his way down the street. He had forgotten how far away he lived from the manor, and part of him was tempted to actually take one of those taxis (his feet would appreciate it at least).

He didn’t though, not when he knew all too well that it would likely be one of the last walks he would get. Winter was coming after all, and he got the feeling taking an infant out into the snow  _ wasn’t  _ the brightest idea.

Without the worry of getting all the baby items he needed, Gladstone felt his thoughts wondering. He knew  _ eventually  _ Della would come to mind, that he would have to process everything, but he had hoped it’d take at least a  _ day  _ before he got to that point.

But no, it only took him a couple of hours before he was thinking about his long-lost cousin. It was hard, recognizing the fact that she was really gone. Della had always been able to bounce back, just like her Uncle Scrooge, and for a long time Gladstone had just believed she was immortal herself. It would explain how she lived through all of Scrooge’s crazy adventures.

_ Della Duck  _ was supposed to be invincible, a famous explorer who lived out her days as a loving mother and adventure seeker.  _ Instead,  _ she had died one month after her children were born, her body somewhere in the vast expanse of space.

_ ‘Will there even be a funeral?’ _

A part of him (a  _ selfish  _ part of him), didn’t want there to be a funeral. He wanted to keep on going about his life pretending that Della had just gone on a little trip. That  _ someday  _ she’d come back, and give him a hug, and ask all about how her daughter has been holding up under his care. Then she’d mend the rift between Donald and Scrooge, and everything would be  _ normal  _ again.

Nothing would ever be normal again.

Gladstone had dealt with death before, he knew how the whole process went. First he’d feel fine, like nothing had changed. Then some time would pass, and the absence would start to become more obvious.  _ Then,  _ the reality would hit and all the pain would set in all at once.

He hated the process.

The last time Gladstone had dealt with a major death it had been Grandma Duck, finally going out thanks to her old age. She had cared for him after his parent’s accident, and he remembered how  _ alone  _ he had felt after being tossed into the world suddenly.

That, he decided, would  _ not  _ be happening with Ellie. Della may have been gone, and Gladstone may not have any friends, but Ellie would  _ never  _ be alone. He was going to be there for her every step of the way, in the way only Fethry and Grandma Duck had been for him.

He promised.

-

When he finally got to his mansion all of the baby supplies were already delivered.

“The lady really wasn’t lying,” he muttered, looking over the pile of items placed in his yard, “this really is everything I could possibly need… not that I’m really surprised.”

A crib, a diaper changing station (not that he was looking forward to  _ that),  _ a toy chest filled to the brim with different items, a high chair. Gladstone even found a green diaper bag with little gold coins all over it filled to the brim with baby formula and diapers. To his luck, all of the items were actually green, a perfect match for both the Green Bean and his themes.

Needless to say he had what he needed.

Calling up his assistant Virgo (a young teen in college who had been in desperate need of a job), Gladstone left all of the items to them. The enby hadn’t appreciated the work load, but he easily ignored their harsh glares and curses.

He had a bed to attend to after all.

  
  



	3. The Gander Manor!

The Gander Manor (as most called it) was  _ gorgeous. _

With white marble flooring and sleek white walls the home had a large and modern feel. Gladstone had of course added green additions all  _ over  _ the house though (it  _ was  _ his signature color), and with the silk sheets and expensive tech, the home looked like the staple for a public magazine.

On the bottom floor there were the typical rooms: A kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and a movie theater. All of them were rather bare (Gladstone really  _ didn’t  _ spend that much time at home), and the expensive furniture had probably collected dust long ago.

Upstairs was far more interesting, with a master bedroom at the end of the hall (Gladstone’s of course) with the additions of a large bathroom and even  _ bigger  _ closet (not exactly necessary, but  _ very  _ nice). There were also at least four bedrooms and a bathroom at the end of the hall.

One room, at the end of the hall, was Virgo’s. The enby had their own dorm of course, but Gladstone had figured it’d be more polite if they had their own room (they  _ did  _ spend a lot of time here, more than he ever did). Gladstone had never seen what they had done to the place though, and something told him he probably never would.

Gladstone had dubbed the bedroom right next to his as the nursery. The room was large, and he imagined Ellie could probably grow into it over time, but for now it was the perfect spot for the young girl. He was even lucky enough that the walls were already painted a dark green color.

None of these were really on Gladstone’s mind though.

His feet were sore from the long walk home, and he was so emotionally drained that even  _ thinking  _ was exhausting. So, he did the rational thing, stumbling up the stairs and into his bedroom. Since the Green Bean’s bed wasn’t set up yet, Gladstone simply laid her down on the right side of the bed, before quickly kicking off his shoes and slipping in on the left.

It felt good to be home.

-

His dreams weren’t kind.

Maybe he should have anticipated it (he  _ had  _ just found out his cousin was dead), but the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind before he fell asleep. This, Gladstone decides, is a  _ crushing  _ oversight.

The engine exploding is the first thing he hears, a loud boom that echoes through his bones and shakes the ground. Looking around, he finds himself sitting in the pilots seat of some sort of ship. The blue-tinted windshield in front of him was cracked heavily, and the screens across the control panel all read  _ lost signal  _ over static.

Outside the spaceship was what held Gladstone’s attention though. It was a pitch black expanse, endless and dark in a way you only ever saw in horror movies. He knew it was space, and yet no star or planet appeared.

_ ‘No, no, no, please no, NO!’ _

The dream didn’t seem to hear his pleas though, and another boom thundered through the ship, this time coming from the right. The lights start to flicker, and Gladstone finds himself starting to gasp for breath as the windshield begins to break away.

He’s dying, he’s dying and he’s alone while it happens, alone in the vast expanse of space with no means of escape.

Everything goes black.

-

“Get up you lazy bastard.”

Groaning, Gladstone blinked the sleep out of his eyes and pushed away the memory of his dream in favor of looking around him. Next to the bed stood Virgo, a now-awake Ellie sitting in one of their arms. It was odd, seeing the equivalent of a nerdy-punk holding a baby, and for a minute he wondered if he was still dreaming.

“You know I’m not a babysitter right?”

Apparently not.

Sitting up, he rolled his eyes, “I pay you to be my  _ assistant,  _ if that just so happens to include babysitting, then well…”

“Your lucky you pay well,” the enby said, blowing a strand of purple hair out of their face, “and that the kid’s cute.”

“Of course she’s cute, she’s related to me!”

Virgo scoffed, gently handing Ellie back to him before crossing their arms. Over the past few months Gladstone had gotten to know them rather well, and as much as they tried to act tough with all the piercings and dark clothing, he knew they were a softie at heart.

“I finished the nursery,” they muttered, “and changed the kid before you woke up,  _ and  _ ordered some groceries online since the fridge was damn near empty.”

Gladstone laughed, “what would I do without you?”

“Starve.”

-

Gladstone decides to hold off on calling Fethry.

He figured his younger cousin was busy handling the red-kid, not to mention college midterms (that was a thing right?). He was still concerned of course, but it wasn’t like Fethry was  _ completely  _ alone against Elder. Lulu was always there, and Gladstone knew Abner could be reliable when it was important.

Part of him (an  _ anxious  _ part of him), was worried that he was making a mistake. That Fethry was secretly crumbling under the pressure, suffering through an attack down at the farm, and Gladstone could have helped if he had just  _ called. _

He ignores the anxiety though, forcing his energy into taking care of the Green Bean and teasing his assistant. It wasn’t everyday that  _ Gladstone Gander  _ was just relaxing at home, and considering how paternal all of his actions felt (and were), he decided to indulge in the feeling for just a bit.

Fethry could wait.

-

So far, parenting was proving to be a breeze.

Perhaps it was just Ellie (who seemed rather laid back for a kid), but if even  _ he  _ could manage her then he figured things weren’t nearly as rough as most parents complained they were.

When he had mentioned this to Virgo though, the enby had simply snickered and said “you’ve only had her for a few hours, wait until tonight, maybe then you’ll think twice.”

In the dining room, Gladstone ponders over his caesar salad (which had been thrown into the groceries by accident) that maybe Della had thought more about her choice in children than he had first thought. After all, giving  _ Gladstone  _ the child with the  _ least  _ responsibilities care-wise was a pretty smart move.

Unfortunately, the thought of Della seemed to kill his momentarily good mood. Considering his nightmare from a few hours ago… Gladstone supposed it wasn’t surprising that he was thinking about it again.

He didn’t explain the situation to Virgo (he hadn’t wanted to think about it honestly), so according to them Ellie was just visiting while Della was out on an adventure with Scrooge and Donald. 

_ ‘If only that were the truth.’ _

Resting his cheek against his hand, Gladstone bitterly stabbed at his salad, no longer hungry. Ellie sat in her new car seat on the dining chair next to him, completely silent (she had barely made a sound since Gladstone received her, and he was starting to wonder if something was wrong).

_ ‘It’s probably your fault,’  _ Gladstone’s mind hissed,  _ ‘you were frustrated she never called right? Hurt that you were excluded from the McDuck bunch?’ _

It was true, in the weeks leading up to last night, Gladstone had been filled with bitter resentment. Fethry had been talking adamantly about the triplets every time they called, and he had found himself becoming jealous of his cousin's connection to their ‘nephews.’ He had thought then that it was unlikely Donald or Della would call, that he would probably go months or even  _ years  _ without ever meeting the triplets.

_ ‘See,’  _ the voice whispered,  _ ‘you were mad at her, you wanted her gone didn’t you? You wished her dead, and your luck took care of the rest.’ _

Gladstone threw away his salad.

  
  
  



End file.
